Developers of speech-activated command and control systems are confronted with a relatively unique challenge in that, unlike most other computer-implemented means for supporting user input, there is typically no visible indication of available alternatives for input operations. Thus, when a user sits down in front of a machine, it is often difficult for him or her to decide what they are going to say. The user often has been conditioned to point and click as they seek to discover available functions and command alternatives. Performing similar exploration through spoken utterances can be, for many, a more intimidating process. It can be difficult for individuals to choose words with any kind of certainty that they will be connected with a desirable input operation.
A common user-initiated operation is the launching of a software application. A logical way to support speech-activation of such an operation is to configure the speech interface to listen for an initial action word (e.g., launch, run, start, etc.) followed by the name of an application (e.g., Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, etc.). A problem with this approach is that it requires a user to be equipped with a significant amount of knowledge as to what name or names have been assigned to various applications.
In some cases, a user will likely be familiar with the most probable application identifiers, such as when the user purchases a specific software application and installs it on their own machine. In other cases, familiarity is less likely. For example, many machines come pre-bundled with numerous software applications. Often times a purchaser of such a machine doesn't buy based on the value-added software but more based on other differentials such as price and/or hardware capabilities. This is just one example of a situation in which a user may not be familiar with available software applications.
Users that experiment with speech-activated command and control will often choose more general terminology over the more specific. For example, a user that purchases a machine having a TV card might choose to say “start television” rather than “start Video Viewer 5,” the latter being the actual name of the desired application. These types of misses can frustrate or discourage a user, sometimes causing them to give up on voice activated functionality all together.
The discussion above is merely provided for general background information and is not intended for use as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter. Further, it should also be emphasized that the claimed subject matter is not limited to implementations that solve any or all of the disadvantages of any currently known systems noted in this section.